Frogless switch.



G. S. PATTON.

FROGLESS SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1916.

1,226,544. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Fla. 3

WITNESSES NTE %TATE% PATENT @FFTQE.

GEORGE S. PAT'ION, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES F. EWING, ONE-THIRD TO HENRY L. FLECK,

AND ONE-SIXTH TO THOMAS P. MORAN, ALL OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

FROGLESS SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial No. 80,606.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. PATTON, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Frogless Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches and its object is to dispense with the usual frog and guard rail located at the point where the branch line rail crosses the main line rail, and to substitute therefor a movable rail section arranged to be brought in line with either the main track rails or the branch track rails, and which movable rail section is connected to the switch throwing means so as to be operated in unison therewith.

Railway frogs are a source of much trouble on railway lines and result in many derailments and wrecks. Not only are they expensive, but they wear rapidly, and when worn, the entire frog must be scrapped.

With my device a standard rail section is substituted for the frog and this is removably secured to practically permanent members, so that in case of wear only the section of the rail itself need be renewed, thus greatly reducing the cost, and also greatly reducing the time in which the replacement can be made. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway switch with the improvements embodied therein; Fig. 2 1s a transverse section on the line 22, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33, Fig. 1, with the rail sections omitted.

In the drawings, 1 indicates one of the main line rails; 2 and 2 the sections of the other main line rail; 3 one of the branch line rails, and 4 and 45 the sections of the other branch line. The rail sections 2* and 4 are, in the instance illustrated,the switch points of an ordinary switch, these polnts having connected thereto a bar 5 which will be connected to the usual switch throwing means, such as an ordinary switch stand, not shown.

At the place where the frog is usually located, there is a gap between the main and branch line rail sections, and at this gap is located a bed plate 7 of very substantial construction and which is sunk down below the level of the bases of the rails, and which at one end has secured thereto, such as by clamps 8, the main line rail section 2 and the branch line rail section 4, and at its opposite end has secured thereto, such as b clamps 9, the ends of the switch points 2 and 4?. Intermediate its ends this bed plate is depressed and has mounted thereon an oscillating plate 10, whose upper face is on a level with the bases of the rails. As shown, this plate 10 is mounted on the base plate 7 on a pivot 11 which preferably is non-rotatably secured in the topplate 10 and extends down into an opening in the base plate 7, said opening preferably being provided with a bushing 12 of brass or other material not likely to corrode and which will offer little resistance to the rotation of the top plate. To further reduce friction, the top plate has a bearing on the bed plate on only relatively small areas at its center, as at 13, and near its ends, as at 14.

Secured to the oscillating plate 10 is a section 15 ofstandard rail, of a length just sufficient to close the gap between the ends of rails 2 and 2 and 4t and 4* respectively. This rail section can be secured to the oscillating plate in any suitable way, such as by means of clamps 16 which permit said rail section to be readily removed when worn and replaced by another similar section.

The oscillating plate 10 is somewhat larger widthwise than the bedplate 7, so that it overhangs the latter in all positions of the oscillating plate in order to prevent snow, sleet and dirt from getting in between, and thus prevent clogging and the movement of the oscillating plate fully to the positions to bring the rail section 15 into line with either the main line rails or the branch line rails. A stop or stops are provided for limiting the movement of this oscillating plate in both directions, so as to insure the rail section 15 being in exact alinement with either the main line rails or the branch line rails. As shown, the stop comprises downward projections 18 from the top plate extending into arc-shaped slots 19 in the bed plate, the ends of the said slots in conjunction with projections 18 forming the stops. By having the stops on the top plate and projecting down into slots in the bottom plate, the entrance of snow, sleet and dirt, and consequently clogging, is prevented.

' arm of another bell-crank lever u a short rail section in This stop arrangement may be at one or both ends of the oscillating plate.

The oscillating plate 10 is connected to the switch throwing means so as to be moved in unison therewith and in the proper direction. The particular connecting means illustrated comprises a bell-crank lever 20 pivotally mounted at 21 to a stationary plate or bearing and having one arm connected to the switch throwing bar 5 and its opposite arm connected by the connecting rod 22 to one 23 pivotally mounted at 2 1 to a stationary bearing and having its opposite arm connected by the connecting rod 25 to the oscillating plate 10. The bell-crank levers 20 and 23 are reversely positioned, as shown, so that when the switch is thrown to open the main line, the rail section 15 is brought into alinement with the main line rail portions 2 and 2 whereas, when the switch is thrown to open the branch line, the rail section 5 is brought into alinement with the branch line rail portions 4 and e. To insure the rail section 15 coming accurately into line with each of the main line rail sections and the branch line rail sections, suitable adjusting means are provided in the connections, in order to compensate for inaccuracies of installing, or wear, or slight displacements of the parts due to use. As shown, both arms of the bell-crank lever 23 are adjustable in length by very small increments, such for instance as by turn buckles 26 and 27, by means of which the necessary adjustments can be made.

By the improvements described, the usual frog and guard rail are entirely dispensed with. The substituted means is practically permanent, as the only part subject to material wear is the rail section 15, which can be very quickly renewed, and at a relatively small cost, by merely loosening the clamps 16, taking out the worn rail section, and inserting a new rail section and clamping it in place, and without disturbing the mounting of the oscillating plate or the connections for oscillating the same. This can be done very quickly and practically without delaying trafiic on either the main or branch line. The stops are housed between the bed and oscillating plates and hence dirt, snow and the like can not get between the contact faces of said stops and prevent the oscillating rail from lnoving into accurate alinement with the'main and branch line rails. The oscillating rail section is moved by the act of throwing the switch, so that no additional work or attention on the part of the trainman is required.

What I claim is 1. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog,

' said gap and movable to bring it into line with either the main line rail portions or the branch line rail portions, connecting means between said short rail section and the switch throwing means whereby said rail section is'moved with the switch and to establish the same track connections as the switch, said connecting means including a bell crank lever having one arm connected to the rail section and the other arm to the switch throwing means, the arms of said bellcrank lever being independently adjustable.

2. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog,

an oscillating rail. section in said gap and movable to bring it into line with either the main line rail portions or the branch line portions, connecting means between said oscillating rail section and the switch throwing means whereby said rail section is oscillated wi'h the switch and toestablish the same track sections as the switch, said connecting means including a bell crank lever having one arm connected to the'rail section and the other arm to the switch throwing means, and means for adjustin arm of said bell cranklever in length by small increments.

3. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location ofthe usual frog, an oscillating rail section in said gap and movable to bring it into line witheither the main line rail portions or the branch line rail portions, connecting means between said oscillating rail section and the switch throwing means, comprising a pair of reversely arranged bell-crank levers and rods connecting the same respectively to the oscillating rail section, to each other, and to the switch throwing means, the arms of one of said bell-crank levers being independently adjustable in length by small increments.

1. In a railway switch, the combination of g each main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog, a bed plate at said gap to which the ends of the main and branch rails are secured, a

plate mounted on the bed plate to oscillate thereon and carrying a rail section arranged to be brought into line with either the main line rails or the branch line rails, said oscil-' lating plate overhanging the bed plate, and

oscillating means connected to said plate independently of the rail section connections.

5. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged main line and ing rigid stop members on said oscillating plate and bed plate respectively and housed between the same and serving to limit the movement of said oscillating plate in both directions, and means connected to said plate for oscillating the same.

6. In a railway switch, the combination of branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog, a bed plate at said gap to which the ends of the main and branch line rails are secured, a plate mounted on the bed plate to oscillate thereon and carrying a rail section arranged to be brought into line with either the main line rails or the branch line rails, said oscillating plate overhanging the bed plate, and a stop depending from the oscillating plate and cooperating with shoulders on the bed plate.

7. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog, a bed plate at said gap to which the ends of the main and branch line rails are secured,

' a plate mounted on said bed plate to oscillate thereon, a rail section secured to said oscillating plate by means permitting its removal without disturbing the mounting of said oscillating plate on said bed plate, cooperating rigid stop members on said bed plate and oscillating plate respectively and housed between said plates and serving to limit movement of said oscillating plate in both directions, and means for oscillating said plate simultaneously with the switch and to establish the same track connections as the switch, said oscillating means being connected to Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the said oscillating plate independently of the rail section connecting means.

8. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog, a bed plate at said gap to which the ends of the main and branch rails are secured, a plate mounted on said bed plate to oscillate thereon, a rail section secured to said oscil lating plate by means permitting its removal without disturbing the mounting of said oscillating plate on said bed plate, said oscillating plate overhanging the bed plate, and means for oscillating said plate simultaneously with the switch and to establish the same track connections as the switch.

9. In a railway switch, the combination of main line and branch line rails arranged with a gap at the location of the usual frog, a bed plate at said gap to which the ends of the main and branch line rails are secured, a plate mounted on said bed plate to oscillate thereon, a rail section secured to said oscillating plate by means permitting its removal without disturbing the mounting of said oscillating plate on said bed plate, said oscillating plate overhanging said bed plate, and cooperating stop members carried by said bed plate and oscillating plate respectively and housed between said plates.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE S. PATTON.

Witnesses:

GLENN H. LEREsoHE, C. B. SANDERSON.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

